Thread by @HuffmanLabDU

My heart is heavy today at the loss of Prof. Paul Crutzen, Nobel Laureate and a giant of both science & humanity, truly with no equal.

So many profound contributions: ozone layer chemistry, nuclear winter, #Anthropocene, +

A few quotes & obs. below (1/x)
mpic.de/4677594/trauer…

2/ "He was the first to show how human activities damage the ozone layer. This knowledge ... was the basis for the worldwide ban on ozone-depleting substances – a hitherto unique example of how Nobel Prize-winning basic research can directly lead to a global political decision.”

3/ “Paul Crutzen was also a pioneer of the sciences focusing on the impact of human civilization on the environment, whether through his findings on the destruction of the ozone layer or through his later scientific work on human-made climate change."
nobelprize.org/prizes/chemist…

4/ So critical!🙏

"discovered [atm. effects from] nuclear war could lead to a 'nuclear winter' resulting in a dramatic decline of the Earth’s habitability. His findings were essential contributions to the global ... achievements in nuclear disarmament."
researchgate.net/publication/23…

5/ "Paul J. Crutzen coined the term #Anthropocene, which he used to describe the current era in which human activity is shaping our planet through the profound influence on global atmospheric, biological, and geological processes."
e360.yale.edu/features/livin…

6/ "He commented on the scientific and social debates that followed his proposal on the concept of the Anthropocene: 'I see the debate as an opportunity to achieve the ecological reorientation that is urgently needed.'"
link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2…

7/ He was even critical to the inception of early #openaccess journal @EGU_ACP

"His limitless scientific curiosity, creative ideas and his charismatic personality left their mark not only on me and our institution but on many generations of scientists” said Prof. Jos. Lelieveld.

8/ And more than all of these, he was a wonderful person. He was obviously brilliant & creative, but also curious & kind. I am personally grateful for my intersections with him while in Germany & mourn the loss Paul Crutzen's passing will mean for both our planet & civilization.

9/ Many tributes will surely roll in over coming days. Here is one taste of who Prof. Crutzen was, through the experience of a (then) young PhD student, now Prof. @ManabuShiraiwa. #chemtwitter #atmoschem

https://twitter.com/ManabuShiraiwa/status/1354849367610380288